Mobile terminal

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a capacitance touch screen including an input touch layer configured to detect a touching of the touch screen, an output touch layer configured to output touch signals corresponding to the detected touching of the touch screen, a display layer configured to display information, and a proximity sensor layer disposed between the touch input layer and the touch output layer and configured to proximity detect a movement of a selection unit over the capacitance touch screen without the selection unit actually touching the capacitance touch screen; and a controller configured to calculate coordinates of a touch point where the capacitance touch screen was touched based on the output touch signals and to calculate coordinates of points along the detected movement of the selection unit based on the proximity detected movement by the proximity sensor layer.

1 . A mobile terminal, comprising:
 a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal;   a capacitance touch screen including an input touch layer configured to detect a touching of the touch screen, an output touch layer configured to output touch signals corresponding to the detected touching of the touch screen, a display layer configured to display information, and a proximity sensor layer disposed between the touch input layer and the touch output layer and configured to proximity detect a movement of a selection unit over the capacitance touch screen without the selection unit actually touching the capacitance touch screen; and   a controller configured to calculate coordinates of a touch point where the capacitance touch screen was touched based on the output touch signals and to calculate coordinates of points along the detected movement of the selection unit based on the proximity detected movement by the proximity sensor layer.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is a single controller that calculates both the coordinates of the touch point where the touch screen was touched and the coordinates of points along the detected movement of the selection unit. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the selection unit includes one of a conductor, a stylus and a user's finger. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the touch input layer is disposed closer to the display layer than the touch output layer so as to minimize distortion to the output touch signals caused by noise generated from the display layer. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor layer is a single flat panel parallel to the display layer, the touch input layer and the touch output layer. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor layer includes separated proximity sensor layers disposed along a periphery of the capacitance touch screen. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile terminal of  claim 6 , wherein the separated proximity sensor layers include four separated proximity sensor layers with two separated proximity sensor layers respectively disposed on upper and lower portions of the capacitance touch screen and two separated proximity sensor layers respectively disposed on left and right sides of the capacitance touch screen. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile terminal of  claim 6 , wherein the separated proximity sensor layers disposed along the periphery of the capacitance touch screen do not overlap the display layer. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile terminal of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to use capacitance signals generated the separate proximity sensor layers in combination to calculate the coordinates of the points along the detected movement of the selection unit. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile terminal of  claim 6 , wherein when the display layer displays an image and the controller detects the selection unit moving closer to the capacitance touch screen, the controller increases a size of the displayed image, and when the controller detects the selection unit moving away from the capacitance touch screen, the controller decreases a size of the displayed image, and
 wherein when the controller detects the selection unit moving along the capacitance touch screen, the controller is further configured to move the displayed image in concert with the movement of the selection unit.   
     
     
         11 . A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
 allowing, via a wireless communication unit on the mobile terminal, wireless communication with at least one other terminal;   displaying, via a display unit, information generated by the mobile terminal, said display unit including a capacitance touch screen including an input touch layer configured to detect a touching of the touch screen, an output touch layer configured to output touch signals corresponding to the detected touching of the touch screen, a display layer configured to display information, and a proximity sensor layer disposed between the touch input layer and the touch output layer and configured to proximity detect a movement of a selection unit over the capacitance touch screen without the selection unit actually touching the capacitance touch screen; and   calculating, via a controller on the mobile terminal, coordinates of a touch point where the capacitance touch screen was touched based on the output touch signals and coordinates of points along the detected movement of the selection unit based on the proximity detected movement by the proximity sensor layer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is a single controller that calculates both the coordinates of the touch point where the touch screen was touched and the coordinates of points along the detected movement of the selection unit. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the selection unit includes one of a conductor, a stylus and a user's finger. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the touch input layer is disposed closer to the display layer than the touch output layer so as to minimize distortion to the output touch signals caused by noise generated from the display layer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the proximity sensor layer is a single flat panel parallel to the display layer, the touch input layer and the touch output layer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the proximity sensor layer includes separated proximity sensor layers disposed along a periphery of the capacitance touch screen. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the separated proximity sensor layers include four separated proximity sensor layers with two separated proximity sensor layers respectively disposed and upper and lower portions of the capacitance touch screen and two separated proximity sensor layers respectively disposed on left and right sides of the capacitance touch screen. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the separated proximity sensor layers disposed along the periphery of the capacitance touch screen do not overlap the display layer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 using, by the controller, capacitance signals generated the separate proximity sensor layers in combination to calculate the coordinates of the points along the detected movement of the selection unit.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein when the display layer displays an image and the selection unit is detected as moving closer to the capacitance touch screen, the method further comprises increasing a size of the displayed image, and when the selection unit is detected as moving away from the capacitance touch screen, the method further comprises decreasing a size of the displayed image, and
 wherein when the selection unit is detected as moving along the capacitance touch screen, the method further comprises moving the displayed image in concert with the movement of the selection unit.